Jackie Chan Fights Poverty as Government Advisor to China

After a life of starring in action and comedy films, Jackie Chan is now serving on the Chinese government advisory board and is determined to fight the country’s rampant poverty. It seems like a strange transition, but in fact, he has been a philanthropist all his life. He has even pledged to give away his entire fortune of over $130 million to charity once he dies.

In 1988, Chan founded The Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation, and in 2005, the Dragon’s Heart Foundation. The Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation helps young people in Hong Kong. It gives medical services and aid to natural disaster victims, and also donates to various causes for the performing arts, youth development, youth sports, and medical funding. The Dragon’s Heart Foundation helps the elderly and children in remote areas around China. The foundation itself has built dozens of schools, given books to the needy, and overall, helped give educational opportunities for the poor, as well as given the elderly clothing, wheelchairs, and other important items.

So it seems that appointing Jackie Chan to fight poverty as government advisor to China makes more since than at a first glance. Jackie Chan has joined the elite inner circle of the Communist Party, the ruling party of China, and he is an official member of the 11th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Chan says that he has agreed to this new position because of his lifelong commitment to eradicating poverty within China, a country in which 10 percent of the population is living on about $2 a day.

It may have been Chan’s past that inspired him to be the philanthropist that he is today. He was born into poverty, and was nearly given away at birth to cover the doctor’s fees. Ever since a memorable visit by a Red Cross member who gave Chan an old coat during one of his classes, he was inspired to reach out and help others in need once he reached a point in his life where he could.

Chan has definitely put his money where his mouth is. Last month, he decided to auction his Bentley and managed to raise $1 million for charity after the Yunnan earthquake and its devastating mudslide. But Chan is not the only celebrity to help out; he has also recruited Chris Tucker, Owen Wilson, and Will Smith, among others, to help reduce China’s level of poverty.

As the new government advisor to China, Chan has made it clear that he believes the wealthy people in China should help the poor who cannot help themselves. As of today, China has 400 billionaires, and its economy comes second only to America. Chan wants to change the world’s perception of China, saying that China has changed in the past 20 years and will one day become like Britain, England, and America. But he believes that it is important to address the the wealth disparity that China faces as they continue to grow.

Overall, Chan wants to aid his country in their image, but primarily, he wants to help his country completely eradicate poverty. He is willing to do whatever it takes to help his country, including using his influence on the Chinese government advisory board to support the people who need it the most.